Monday, October 29, 2012

Hey everyone.

I've been here in Cali for a little while now and things are still going really
slow. I'm not exactly sure, but I think I'm in the south/south east part of
Cali. The people here have a lot more money than the people in Pasto which is
cool in some ways and makes things way harder in others.

I haven't had a headache since I got here. I'm thinking it may have been the
altitude because I only got them in Bogotá and Pasto. I also bought a pair of
cheap sunglasses like Hermana Prince told me so I don’t squint as much in the
sun anymore.

So, our church building is always full of these bugs called cucarones. They're
basically cockroaches that can fly. It really makes being in the building
stressful and it doesn't help that everyone likes to make fun of the fact that
they creep me out.

Fun fact: So the sewage system here all goes to a river thing that runs through
the middle of the city. Because of this, whenever we get near it we get to
smell the poop and pee of every person that has gone to the bathroom in the
city. Also, apparently there are a lot of bacteria in the air because of this. It’s
a miracle that I haven't gotten parasites or anything yet. Although, I did get
a really bad stomach ache a week ago.

I did have the chance to talk to one of the gringos who is in my mtc group and
it sounds like everyone is having the same sort of experience. Everyone has had
some sort of stomach problems and the majority have had companion problems too.
Makes me feel lucky for having had Elder I.

Also, I don't know if you guys realize how appreciated the packages are. They
feel kind of like what I imagine a care package in the middle of a war would
be. Especially the face products are appreciated. If you guys get around to
sending another package, more of the same face soap would be greatly, greatly
appreciated...and more of those face pads wouldn't hurt either. But seriously,
the packages are great I don't trust the hygiene products they sell here
anyway.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Hey everyone.

I got transferred out of Pasto after only 1 transfer
there. I've been in Cali since last Tuesday. My new zone is called San
Fernando and the area is Limonar II. I was really upset about having to leave
Pasto. I wasn't expecting it. Usually missionaries stay at least 3 months in
their first area to complete their training. I really didn't want to leave.
For one, Elder I. is great and he stayed behind in Pasto to start training
someone else. Also, we had six baptisms on the 20th that I missed out on. They
were all people whom I had started out with since the very first contact.

My
new companion is Elder C. He is also from Perú. He has 20 months in the
mission and will probably end it here with me. He seems okay. He loves to
talk, but is a lot looser and less focused than Elder I. The worst part is
that we are both new to the area because this area just got cut. It used to be
the area of the hermanas but they cut it and now Elder C. and I share the
ward with the hermanas. Its pretty hard because we started with no
investigators, not knowing any of the members or the city. Turns out we are the
first Elders this ward has had in 15 years.

On the other hand, Cali seems
really cool. Its a lot warmer here. Last night we were outside and it was dark
with warm wind blowing. It was pretty nice. Our apartment is a lot nicer than
the one I had in Pasto, also. Its new so everything works for the most part.
The only bad thing is we have no hot water.

Anyways, these next few weeks
should be interesting. I've been getting massive headaches every once and
awhile since I arrived on Colombia. Sister Prince said my eyes might be going
bad and I should probably get them checked out.

Anyways, aside from being
bummed about the transfer, I am still grateful for the opportunity to be here.
I know the mission isn't supposed to be easy and I just have to keep pushing
through. All the emails and stuff are appreciated. I know that the gospel is
true and that it really can change people's lives.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Hey Everyone!

We went to some place an hour and a half away to go play soccer with
some people who hadn't seen missionaries in 11 years or something like that. We
got back really late and we're probably gonna hear it for writing past 6 o
clock. :)

I got that package last week with the sweaters. They were greatly
appreciated. And the face soap, too. The face soap here I'm pretty sure is
just making it worse. If you guys ever send another package, more face soap is
appreciated. Oh yeah, and I don't know why you guys sent me that white shirt,
but it"s appreciated because all my shirts are size 17 and are way too big. I
think 16 and a half would have been better but it's not that big of a
deal.

To email, Elder I. and I have to go to an internet cafe. There are a
whole bunch of them here. There's no way they'd let us have a computer in our
apartment, haha.

As far as food goes, I don't think I've had a meal here without rice. I'm
so sick of rice. But they do like potatoes and chicken too, and that's pretty
good. Elder I. and I eat breakfast in the apartment. I usually make eggs if
I'm not feeling lazy. We have lunch at a members house every day. We usually
don't eat dinner because people always give us food at every appointment.

I didn't get the picture of my collage in the email. I don't know why, but
that's cool that she put that for me. And that's cool that Bishop
mentioned me... What did he say? Oh yeah, and I told Jordan to get his papers
in so he can get out here already.

Anyways. Sorry I don't have a lot of time, but all the emails and stuff are
greatly appreciated. Nos vemos en 21 meses.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Hey everyone

So things are going well. Conference
was cool and it was a really nice break from the normal routine. I really liked
the talk President Uchtdorf gave about enjoying the ride and listening to a
song to enjoy it not to hear the end. It made me think of my mission and how I
should try to enjoy every second of it and not just think about the future.
Elder Bednar and Holland's talks were good too. They were very similar to the
two recent MTC devotionals they gave.

Oh yeah, Pasto just got Mountain Dew
for the first time. There are posters of it everywhere. It's hilarious. So of
course, I've already drank like four in the past three days. That and Oreos are
the only things I recognize that you can basically buy anywhere.

A kid in the ward just left for Spain on his mission and is in the Bogotá MTC.
We met some of his friends at his family night farewell and now four of them
want to be baptized and have set baptismal dates. We had a pretty good week two
weeks ago. As of now, we have 13 baptisms scheduled for the 27th. That would be
huge if it actually happens, but most likely at least half won't make it. And
also, our area is being cut down in the following weeks so some of the baptisms
won’t technically count as ours (but I will still count them... hah!)

Oh yeah, and when you guys do send
packages, music is appreciated... like the soundtracks or whatever really.

To answer some of the questions
Elder I. is from Huancayo, Peru. His parents and family converted when he was
six. He is the youngest and has like five sisters and a brother or something
like that. He is the first to serve outside of Peru. He is really good with
computers and is really chill. I'm really lucky to have him as a companion. The
other new gringo in my group, who was in my district in Bogotá, is having
problems with his comp, so I'm pretty lucky.

As far as the mission affecting me,
I think it's helping put things in perspective a bit and has helped me see the
big picture more. I guess before I just didn't understand how real everything
is with the gospel and stuff.

I don't think I've been here long
enough to really see any huge changes in people's lives yet, but it is cool to
see people accept the things you teach and frustrating when people flake out on
stuff (which happens 90 percent of the time). We're still teaching the family
Villacortez. One of the girls hugged me and didn't know about the rules
(physical contact with the opposite sex). It was awkward...hah! Also, fun fact:
apparently it's normal for women to nurse their kids in public and in front of
people. It's always interesting to see the reactions when people open the door
and they are doing that... haha!.

Monday, October 1, 2012

So we had another baptism Saturday.
She is 12 and her name is Gabriela. It was pretty cool.

As a zone we did really well this
week. For the month we averaged 4 baptisms per companionship.

And yeah, I do like the when you
guys send pics with the emails. I printed out some and showed them to the
people down here.

The volcano basically looks like a
mountain. It does make me uncomfortable sometimes but I usually don't think
about it.

For the most part, things have
really been the same. Elder I. and I are always busy with investigators and
finding new people to teach.

Oh yeah, so yesterday we were
knocking doors and we found a door that had a sign above it that said,
"Esta familia es cristiana, la casa está abierta para cualquier persona
que quiera conversar acerca de nuestro señor Jesus."

translation: This family is
Christian. The house is open for anyone who wants to converse about our Lord
Jesus.

So, of course, we knocked the door
and some guy answered and Elder I. said "Hello, we came because of the
sign. We'd like to talk with you about Jesus." And, of course, the guy
made up some excuse that he already knew of Christ or something and didn't want
to talk to us. I thought it was kinda ironic... haha.

So anyway, let me know what you guys
want to know and I look forward to hearing from you the next Monday. Later

Information for mailing packages to Elder Chase

If you ship a package with a private courier, you will need this phone number 57 2-892-1709

This is the mission office address. You may mail letters and packages to this address.
To mail a letter of normal size and weight it costs 98 cents to mail it here.
You can use the church pouch mail for letters at the following address:

Elder Brandon Chase

Colombia Cali Mission

POB 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

Pouch Mail Instructions: To prevent possible fines, only postcards and letters that are single sheet, folded into three-panels, and taped at the top only (no envelopes) may be sent through the pouch. Packages cannot be sent through pouch mail.
I think using US Mail is less expensive and just fine...I would NOT use their priority shipping as it seems to be more expensive.
Here are some hints we have learned about the mail system to/from Colombia:
It is better to send things in padded envelopes rather than boxes.

If the packages weigh less than 2 kilos (about 4 lbs) they usually arrive without the missionary having to pay a fee to get it out of customs.

You should declare ANY package at a value LESS than about $20 to also avoid paying a customs fee.
Most letters and packages are taking about 14 or 15 days to arrive.
Our missionaries have to PAY ON TOP of what you have paid to ship...just to receive the package... IF it is too heavy or worth a lot. It is better to send 2 envelopes than to pay a lot and send a big box.
Mail leaving Colombia for the USA is VERY VERY expensive. I tried to mail a regular letter to my brother and they wanted 77 mil pesos or about 40 dollars to mail it. I did NOT mail it.
The best way to communicate with your missionary is via email.

If you want to put money on a debit card he brought with him....that is also an excellent gift.
Once a package arrives in the office it can take up to a month to get it out to the missionary as our mission is SO big and we have to wait until we can get it to the zone leaders at a conference.
If you want to send something for Christmas, plan accordingly for the time it might take and mark the package FOR CHRISTMAS.